Adapter for fitting oversized spools of thread on a spool mount

ABSTRACT

An adapter for large-sized spools of thread having a correspondingly large center hole permits attachment of such spools to a spool pin the diameter of which is too small for receiving such spools and satisfactorily guiding the same. The adapter has a center hole dimensioned to coact with the spool pin as generally provided on domestic sewing machines and an outer configuration capable of accommodating the center hole of industrial spools and other similarly sized spools and of retaining such spools with a tight fit.

United States Patent 1 Granati ADAPTER FOR FITTING OVERSIZED SPOOLS OF THREAD ON A SPOOL MOUNT [76] Inventor: Salvatore Granati, 48 17th Avenue,

Ronkonkoma, N.Y. 11779 22 Filed: Sept. 23, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 183,062

[52] US. Cl. 242/130, 223/106 [51] Int. Cl. B65h 49/02, D03i 5/08 [58] Field ofSearch ..242/l29.5-130,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1961 Bates..... 223/106 2/1921 Menzl 242/130 X June 12, 1973 1,934,169 11/1933 Crooks ..242/130 Primary Examiner--Leonard D. Christian Attorney-Heme, Baxley and Spiecens [57] ABSTRACT An adapter for 1arge-sized spoo1s of thread having a correspondingly large center hole permits attachment of such spools to a spool pin the diameter of which is too small for receiving such spoo1s and satisfactorily 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures r Patented June 12, 1973 IN VENTOR. SAL VA TORE GRAN/4 T/ A Trak/vns BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sewing machines of conventional design for domestic use have secured on the top of the body of the machine a spool pin for placing thereon a spool of thread. The diameter of the pin and the center hole of the spool are so correlated that the spool can freely spin on the pin during a sewing operation.

Users of domestic sewing machines have frequently and for many years expressed a desire to be able to use a so-called industrial or factory spool with a household sewing machine. Such spools are much larger than the largest spool that the spool pin on a domestic machine will accept. The center hole of all spools designed for domestic use is very narrow and the spool pin must be correspondingly thin. Such thin pin is incapable of guiding and holding a large industrial spool due to the much larger center hole thereof. As it is evident, industrial spools permit sewing without time-consuming and sometimes troublesome changing of the spool for a much longer period of time than the largest spools that can be used with conventional domestic sewing machines due to the limitations imposed upon the spool size by the spool pin of such machines. In actual practice the spool pin of a domestic sewing machine has a diameter of less than one-fourth of an inch and the center hole of an industrial spool has a diameter of about three-fourths of an inch. Obviously, a pin with a onefourth inch cannot adequately guide a spool with a hole diameter of three-fourths inch.

Similar problems exist with separate spool stands as they are used with bobbin winders and industrial sewing machines. More over, spool stands as now known, have a tendency to be bent or broken.

To the best of my knowledge there is not now known a device which would make it possible to use an industrial type spool of thread with spool pins of domestic sewing machines or similarly fragile and thin spool stands.

THE INVENTION of tools and which does not preclude the use of spools as are conventional for domestic sewing machines after removal of the adapter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The afore pointed out objects, features and advantages and other objects, features and advantages which 'will be pointed out hereinafter, are obtained by providing a cylindrical or preferably slightly tapered sleeve the outer peripheral outline of which fits the center hole of an industrial spool of thread with a fit sufficiently tight to prevent wobbling of the spool and the inner peripheral outline of which fits the mounting pin for the spool sufficiently loosely to permit spinning of the sleeve about the pin. An annular flange near the bottom end of the sleeve provides. support for the spool to prevent downward slipping thereof on the pin and thus into frictional contact with the surface from which the pin extends.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the accompanying drawing two embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational diagrammatic view of a domestic sewing machine equipped with an adapter according to the invention;

' FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of an exemplification of the adapter on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a modification of the adapter; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the figures more in detail, FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the application of the adapter or attachment according to the invention to a conventional domestic sewing machine. However, the invention is advantageously applicable to industrial or factory' sewing machines also and furthermore to spool stands as they are widely used in factories and other commercial establishments.

The adapter according to the invention as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 comprises a sleeve shape spool holder portion 1 which may be molded of plastic or other suitable material. The holder is provided at its lower end with a preferably integrally molded laterally protruding peripheral flange 2 which may be formed with a peripheral groove 2a. The outer peripheral wall of holder por tion 1 may be cylindrical but it is preferably slightly ta pered as shown. In any event, the configuration of the outer wall of the holder should be such that it fits the center hole of the spool to be placed on the adapter with a tight or fictional fit. FIG. 1 shows a conically shaped spool of thread 3 with a center hole 3a. Spools of this shape are widely factory used. However, it should be understood that cylindrical spools are also in wide use and that the adapter is suitable for receiving such cylindrical spools. The center hole 3a is standard ized for either type of spool. The center hole 4 of the adapter which extends through the entire length thereof, has a diameter such as to fit the spool pin 5 shown in FIG. I on the top of the body of the sewing machine with a fit loose enough to permit free spinning of the adapter with a spool thereon when and while thread is withdrawn from the spool during a sewing operation but tight enough to guide the adapter and the spool thereon without appreciably wobbling.

The spool when applied to a holder portion 1 rests with its bottom surface on flange 2 as it is indicated in FIG. I to prevent downward sliding of the spool as the adapter spins about mounting pin 1. To assure that the bottom surface of the flange cannot come in contact with the body of the machine which, of course, would cause undesirable friction, a protrusion la extends downwardly from flange 2. The diameter of this protrusion is preferably kept as small as possible to reduce to a minimum the friction between the bottom surface of the protrusion and the sewing machine body.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 3 retention of the spool on holder portion 1 is obtained by giving the holder a slight taper. The same result can be obtained by extending holder portion 1 at its upper end by two or more flexible tongues 6, four such tongues being shown. As is evident, tongues 6 will engage the wall of the center hole of the spool with a slight frictional grip.

As it is apparent from the previous description, the adapter as described can be equally applied to a spool stand as it is used for winding a bobbin from a spool of thread. Spool stands for this purpose are either mounted on a part of the machine itself or separate therefrom, provided, of course, that the diameter of the spool stand fits the center hole 4 of the adapter.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adapter for attaching an industrial type spool of thread having a center hole upon a spool pin having a diameter undersized for the diameter of the spool hole, said adapter comprising:

an elongate rigid sleeve having an outer peripheral outline frictionally fitting the center hole of an industrial spool of thread and an inner peripheral outline loosely fitting the outer peripheral outline of the spool pin; and

an annular outwardly protruding flange on said sleeve near one end thereof, said flange constituting a support for a base of a spool fitted upon the sleeve the end portion of the sleeve opposite to the end thereof mounting the flange being lengthwise slotted to form two or more elastic tongues.

2. The adapter according to claim 1 wherein the outer wall of the sleeve. is slightly inwardly tapered from said flange toward the other end of the sleeve.

3. The adapter according to claim 1 wherein said slotted sleeve portion has a wall thickness less than that 'of the solid wall portion of the sleeve. 

1. An adapter for attaching an industrial type spool of thread having a center hole upon a spool pin having a diameter undersized for the diameter of the spool hole, said adapter comprising: an elongate rigid sleeve having an outer peripheral outline frictionally fitting the center hole of an industrial spool of thread and an inner peripheral outline loosely fitting the outer peripheral outline of the spool pin; and an annular outwardly protruding flange on said sleeve near one end thereof, said flange constituting a support for a base of a spool fitted upon the sleeve the end portion of the sleeve opposite to the end thereof mounting the flange being lengthwise slotted to form two or more elastic tongues.
 2. The adapter according to claim 1 wherein the outer wall of the sleeve is slightly inwardly tapered from said flange toward the other end of the sleeve.
 3. The adapter according to claim 1 wherein said slotted sleeve portion has a wall thickness less than that of the solid wall portion of the sleeve. 